Wrestleshack 19 - Paul Hudson vs Denny Cartier

Paul Hudson has a "cult following" (we don't know what else to call it) among BG East fans. The wrestler projects a hard-to-resist roughneck appeal that attracts ardent devotees. What most fans like best about Paul is his tenacity. Once he latches on to an opponent, he never lets go. He moves quickly and snakes his way around his opponents. And he's never at a loss for a punishing move, be it in the ring - or on the mat.

One of our most fearless wrestlers, Paul has taken on opponents big and small, representing a wide range of wrestling experience, notably superstar pros like Cameron Matthews, Donnie Drake, and Joe Robbins. Against such giants of the ring, Paul has brought nothing less than his best fight every time and chalked up an impressive number of wins. No small part of his success in the squared circle is due to his training and natural propensity for mat grappling, which just happens to be the name of the game in BG East's Wrestleshack.

His opponent, Denny Cartier, nonetheless enters the shack full of confidence. It's Denny's first match in the Wrestleshack. (It's Hudson's second, so he's claiming ownership of the space.) Denny started his BGE career jobbing against renowned badass BG East heels like Bulldog Barzini and Jonny Firestorm but not without demonstrating considerable mat skills. Now he wants to put his jobbing days behind him and go for 'full-on, fair' grappling - in regulation amateur gear, no less. Does he have the killer instincts to handle a wily dynamo like Paul, whose mat and ring skills make him the favorite here?

Clearly ready to be aggressive, Denny charges and gets the initial takedown. Only Denny seems unsurprised. "Lucky takedown," Paul mumbles sourly, immediately taking control of his ambitious opponent. But Denny shows he's more than just lucky, turning the match back around and burying Paul underneath him. Paul mutters something about "pity points," as if he were LETTING Denny ride him like a bitch. Against expectations, the match is shaping up into a give-and-take contest. It takes Denny seven minutes, but he gains the first fall over Paul with a three-count pin! Who saw that coming?